The Runner
by Sven99
Summary: Meet Brad Wesley, professional runner. When something is needed by the humans, but is too dangerous to grab, Brad makes it his sworn duty to retrieve the object of desire. When a grab for medicine goes south, Brad finds himself knee-deep in seekers.
1. prologue

Brad walked casually into the hospital, like he owned the place. Never in his life did he feel bounded by stress or worry, and today's heist would not be the exception. The grab was simple, something to help the new guy's asthma so he breath in the caves. Sounded easy enough.

The soul sitting behind the desk was smiling brightly, like all souls normally do. She was young, about twenty with golden hair and freckles. If he were still in his old life, Brad would have taken it upon himself to ask her out.

"Can I help you?" She asked blissfully. Brad smiled at her, pulling out a badge he pick pocketed from a seeker not three weeks ago. It was getting old, and soon he'd have to steal another, but it would work now.

"I'm seeker Snuffs Flowers to the Dust. I have a patient waiting back at the office that desperately needs something to cure his asthma. I need a healer to procure it for me asap."

"Why didn't you just bring him in?" The soul asked, not suspiciously, but curiously. Brad had a fake cut, and he never got close enough to someone for them to get a good look at his eyes.

"Simply put, he was a struggler. Could you please just bring the supplies here? Come to think of it we might need some heal as well. He bit my partner." Brad had gotten exceptionally well at lying over the years, even before the invasion. It was almost compulsive now.

"Wait here one second." The soul ordered meekly. Brad nodded, not taking a seat. They would figure him out soon, but not before he had enough time to make an escape. Jared was waiting at the donut shop down the block, so he didn't have far to go. If she wasn't out in five minutes then Brad would just march himself into their storage and find something the doc called 'inside heal'. He had the power to do that; Brad was tall and strong enough.

The soul came out moments later with a clear bottle of blue liquid and a spray that read 'heal' in large black print. This was too easy; souls were anything if predictable. Brad snatched both containers from her hands in manner that was less than friendly and stuck them both in his coat pockets. He wasn't worried anymore about seekers; he was the runner.

"I do believe it is seeker policy to bring in all humans for medical attention." The soul reminded. _I do believe you should mind your own business._

"We will do so as soon as he's secure." Brad replied in a hurried tone. A hand touched his shoulder and he spun around. Behind him was a real seeker, holding a real gun. He looked even less friendly than Brad had, and suddenly the tall man wilted.

"What's this I hear about a human? We haven't found any humans in months." The real seeker inquired. Brad smiled for a moment, sure he couldn't reason his way out of this.

"Wait a minute, you told me you had a human with asthma at your station." The girl behind him replied. The seeker frowned.

"Us, human, asthma? Of course not. We would have brought him here if we found one." Brad's grin grew, like it was a joke and only he knew the punch line.

"Well, the thing is-" Before he seeker had time to process what had transpired Brad threw a right hook that knocked him flat. The only thing Brad could do well besides run and lie was fight. Suddenly he regretted wasting all that time tidying his hair for the disguise, even though his obsidian hair needed the attention.

The girl screamed as Brad knew she would. Brad wanted to make for the door, but he knew more souls were on the way_. Roof, head for the roof. No seekers and you can hop to another building. _That much was true, he had his pick of buildings to run to in this city. They were all stacked evenly for blocks.

Finally, Brads brain reacted and he ran down the hall, ignoring both the girl and the cries from others to halt.

"Don't run! We can help you!" He heard a man scream. He wasn't sure why seekers had arrived at the hospital; the receptionist probably called them in. Either way he lived up to his title as a runner when he booked up the eggshell stairs like a bull was chasing him. Luckily the double doors were inverted and there was a janitor's closet at the door. He stuck a broom through the handlebars and dashed upstairs. The day was picking up for him.


	2. Across the Rooftops

Across the rooftops

The double doors to the roof busted open under Brad's great strength, They hadn't been locked, souls never lock doors, but they had been sealed as so few injuries occurred anymore that people needed a helicopter evac. Anyone injured in the desert were, Brad assumed, given a bottle of cure and heal and told to have a nice day.

Brad had counted three seekers as he dashed up the stairs, and there was a good chance they were radioing in for more. Bedsides the large one Brad had knocked out on his way up, none of the seekers looked stronger than him, but they had guns. He wasn't worried, they don't use guns unless they can't catch a person and have no other options, and time was on his side in the event of backup. No, he was running now for nothing more than the sheer thrill of it, like prey taunting the predators that wanted him. He once heard that cats couldn't outrun rabbits, and that theory had always come to mind in a run.

The roof was, as Brad had known from the ground level, perfectly lined up with two of the adjacent buildings. Brad would have his pick of hiding places in the concrete jungle known as Pheonix. He wasn't worried about Jared; that frail soul he was with would sweet-talk him out of any trouble. The only problem at the moment that Brad had any concern for was whether he should fight or run. Either one gave him that sense of adrenaline that always made these trips worthwhile, like a buzz that couldn't be matched. The only problem was, again, the guns the seekers would use in a pinch, but that was a problem no matter what he chose to do.

Brad's concern for the sick kid in the cave got the better of him and he decided to run. He got a head start and made a mad jump to the office building next to him. The seekers had finally made it to the top of the hospital and were quick to spot him, not that it mattered. One roof after another Brad jumped like a bullfrog escaping a croc. While the seekers were obviously getting winded, Brad was just getting warmed up. He felt boundless with each jump.

His win was short lived when he reached the last building on the block. His options were the fire escape, a garbage can on the ground, and solid concrete from a three-story building. Fire escape won out, but before he could make the move a bullet zipped past his shoulder. A female seeker sporting a very expensive looking nine-millimeter approached him as he edged the building's end near the corner that led to the donut shop.

"That's far enough human. I don't know what you expected to accomplish by pulling a stunt like this, but come off the ledge and we can end this civilly." Brad grinned widely. He needed to buy time while he calculated the likelihood of landing in the donut shop's garbage.

"I didn't realize civility was in your vocabulary parasite." The two other seekers finally arrived; huffing like that had given everything they got to get there. One was a skinny blond girl with soft eyes, while the other was an even smaller Asian man who looked moderately disgusted at Brad. The redhead that shot at Brad was the only one who didn't look tired.

"Parasite implies we offer nothing in this symbiosis, and I can safely say you're better off with a soul than without one." Brad smiled, bearing his pearly teeth. 'Cure' doubled as an excellent toothpaste.

"Well I guess we just have to agree to disagree." Brad replied as he finally lined himself up. Either the embracing arms of rotting donuts'd catch him, or he'd be a messy pile on the floor. Either way they wouldn't have him by the end of the day.

"Enough games! Get down now!" The redhead barked bitterly.

"Bad choice of words." Brad replied as he took a step backwards and plummeted three stories. Someone upstairs must still like him. Either that or he was the luckiest man alive. He glided down and the soft donuts embraced him. _Nothing more than satisfying that being caught by a childhood favorite. _

Brad hoped out, waved to the disbelieving seekers above, and peeled off a maple bar from his jacket. The meds were safe, and all the seekers were, for the moment, dumbfounded until they could get another fix on him_. They won't catch me; I'm dust in the wind. _

Besides being slightly sticky brad blended well with the smiling crowd that he stepped into, and made his way to the truck. He was sure he'd have to outmaneuver more seekers, but for the second he was secure in being one step ahead. The truck was now about ten minutes away; Jared would have time to get coffee.


	3. Onward to home

Into Hiding

It was frustrating that even though Jared and that soul were right there in the donut shop's parking lot Brad had to hide until the seekers fanned out in their search. They would soon; especially after the stunt Brad had pulled. He would be considered a 'priority target', meaning they'd put everyone into searching the streets for a dangerous human.

Brad crept into a dark dry storage for the sub shop across the street. The room was tiny, but it was dark and he could hide easily in it for a few moments. The best part about running in a city was simply the fact that there were too many places for a human to hide. Even in one block there had to be hundreds of nooks and crannies. The runner munched on some of the protein bars that were being stored there to kill time. He was glad that the souls at least had the decency to keep old earth's food around, but then again blending in was their weapon of choice.

Brad's watch beeped at the fifteen-minute point. Five more minutes and he'd put on a sports cap and get to the truck. This of course wasn't until a young soul wearing an apron opened the door to the storage and nearly shrieked. Brad put a finger to his mouth calmly, hoping the girl would not scream at the top of her lungs. She was young, maybe sixteen, with hazel-almond eyes and a dimple that gave her character. That was the main drawback of running in the city, the frequent and often unnecessary encounters with the locals. _More like local occupation._ Brad thought bitterly.

"Hello, I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting before." Brad said calmly. The girl just stood there blankly. This was awkward for Brad. Sure he cold knock her out easily, but for some reason that just didn't seem right. _Just do it! Think of the kid in the caves!_

"Who-Who…" The girl stammered. _Yes, who, good question. Make something up fast. _

"I'm a friend of your boss. He just sent me in here to find crackers." Brad lied with a smile.

"Why were you sitting in the dark?" She asked oddly.

"I couldn't find the light." His smile didn't fade. That much was true. The girl reached for the light switch that Brad had missed, and Brad snatched her arm and dragged her into the room before she had time to react. One hand went over her mouth while the other reached for any solid object he could find. He grabbed a label gun and brought it down on her head. She went limp.

Before leaving Brad, feeling terrible, made sure the soul was still breathing. She would be fine, or so he hoped. He wasn't a doctor, but that label gun had come down hard on her. He always felt terrible about hurting anyone but seekers. _Probably because like their host before them, these people just want to live their lives. Even soldiers don't shoot civilians in open war… least not on purpose._

Peeking out to make sure no one had heard or seen the ordeal, brad put on his cap, dropped his jacket and left the alley. His jacket was too sticky to clean anyway. Still eating a protein bar, he walked to the shop. The seekers had set up a shop a block away when Brad obviously was nowhere to be seen at the first block. _Idiots. _

The truck had just gotten a camper shell installed last month when the humans had started on site extraction. Brad hoped inside and banged on the window, startling both of it's current occupants.

"What kept you?" Jared asked.

"Are you alright?" That one soul asked. He never remembered her name, but she was pretty. Brad had asked her out once and Ian had punched him so hard he had to get his tooth healed back on. A simple 'that's my girl' would have sufficed, or so Brad had told the jerk.

"I'm fine, just got held up at the hospital. We should go before they start asking people."

"They already did. We told them we saw you running south." The soul replied. Brad grinned again as the truck headed the other direction.

"You guys didn't get any donuts by any chance, did you?" Brad asked as he threw a tarp over his head. He somehow knew that Jared had rolled his eyes.

"If we had then you're not getting any." He said jokingly. Brad smiled again. _What a jerk._

It would be about an hour before they got back to the camp, and even longer if they decided to stop for supplies. The kid had a few puffs left on his inhaler, but he wouldn't last forever. In the end they stopped for gas at some old pit stop.

"You kids be careful. There's humans around here." The soul in the old body cautioned as they rung up the gas. Brad didn't like being called 'kid' by a soul, but maybe that was the leftovers of his host talking.


	4. Unwelcomed welcome

Jared parked the car while Brad and Wanda crept back into the cave. It was late dusk now so they didn't have to worry about being seen, but Brad still felt eyes on him. He inwardly shrugged and didn't give it a second thought.

The doc and his assistant were eagerly waiting as Brad strolled in casually. He liked the doc, had been grateful that he pulled the mind slug out of him and gave him a purpose again, but that still didn't get rid of Brads gnawing sympathy for the short man. _A small build and a nagging girlfriend._ _Somebody sure doesn't like him upstairs._

"Did you get it?" The doctor asked like a junkie itching for a fix. Brad gave him a grin and revealed the prize he had literally gone through leaps and bounds to get. The doctor took the light object and strolled down the cave with a hope he could save another life. The assistant followed, leaving Brad and Wanda alone for a second before Ian walked in.

The two were lovey dovey the second they made eye contact, but Brad knew Ian was doing just to perpetuate that Wanda was his girl. _One harmless pitch and I'm subjected to this for the rest of my life._ He thought angrily. The cave was undergoing it's rainy season, which meant that everyone was pairing up in the game room to save space. Brad had a few of the new girls he'd love to pair up with, but the only girl that seemed interested in him was that obnoxious and pudgy Sally girl.

"Braaaaaaaaad" _Speak of the devil. _As if on queue Sally walked into the cave entrance. She was short and stubby, with pudgy cheeks that would make any guy's face twist. No older than Brad, Sally's clothes always seemed as if they were made for children in appearance; overly colorful and often stained. This was the polar opposite to Brads normally rugged and mature physique.

"Hey!" Brad said forcing a smile that everyone but Sally knew was fake. Ever since the wandered into the cave by 'smelling the bread baking' she had been after Brad. How she had survived, and even kept that weight in the unforgiving desert was anyone's guess, but she wasn't a spy; just a soul that didn't seem to fit in with either side of the fence and picked the one with the 'dangerous' crowd.

Sally kissed Brad's cheek; she was of Italian decent, and Brad gave her a friendly hug, internally noting to wipe the wetness of his cheek when she looked away. How her lips stayed moist in the desert was another mystery that Brad had dedicated more of his free time than he would've like to.

"Glad to see you made it back."

"Well I hope the feeling's more than mutual." He said in as friendly a tone as he could manage. Sally gave a giggle that lasted one or two seconds more than it should have before she continued. Her eyes were glowing with the obsession Brad always abhorred.

"A little birdy told me that the uncatchable runner can't seem to catch a partner to bunk with." Wanda and Ian had been hugging and conversing until they heard this, and now their attention was glued to the 'couple' that were about to dive into an awkward territory. Luckily Brad was good at lying; otherwise he'd have to be good at tolerating a blanket hog that snored like a sailboat and had no control over midnight flatulence.

As if the situation was destined to get worse before it got better, another girl walked in to check on what was keeping the group up. Lorenza, the girl Brad desperately wanted to be with appeared with the grace of a gazelle. Dark hair and lush green eyes were what grabbed all men's attention, but a silky voice and a serene attitude towards life was what scarred them away. Brad had tried everything to get her notice, but it always failed with a girl that was so much better at the game of life than Brad was.

"Is everything ok?" Lorenza asked in a voice that sounded like it belonged to a singer.

"Everything's Fine. Brad and I were just catching up on things and talking about partnering up for the rainy season." _Why you little conniving…_

"Actually Sal… I better go see how the meds I got went. I'll catch up with you guys later." Without even realizing it brad was walking very fast. He'd have to tidy that up later. On his way out of the entrance he swore he caught Ian giving a him a dirty look.

(Sorry about the loneg delay; stuff came up. I'll keep the story going for now. Note to self: include more of Host characters into the story.)


End file.
